South Hills Village Evacuated After Bomb Threat

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BETHEL PARK (KDKA) – One man has been arrested after a bomb threat forced the South Hills Village to be evacuated Sunday evening.

According to police, a bomb threat was made against the mall around 6 p.m.

The man who allegedly made the threats was in a store at the South Hills Village. He has been identified as 71-year-old Frank Zahler.

Zahler allegedly claimed he had a bomb and the bomb making materials that were used in the Boston Marathon Bombing.

“It’s crazy. I didn’t have anything. I was making a joke with the kid. These kids are whacky man, you know. What can you do with them? That’s America today. In my day, we would have laughed it off,” Zahler said while sitting in the back of a police car.

Customers were alarmed by his comments inside the mall and called police. As a result, the mall was evacuated.

“When he came in, he had this big briefcase not just a leather briefcase, but a very hard durable looking briefcase and gym bag,” Melissa Roman said.

“They come in and no questions asked, just asked him what he was doing and then they said can you please stand up and he stood up and put him in cuffs and they walked him right outside and that was it.,” one witness said.

Zahler is facing a list of charges including, making terroristic threats, risking a catastrophe and threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction.